Bill Belichick has praise for San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh

SANTA CLARA -- Bill Belichick didn't compare the quarterback switch he made in 2001 to the one Jim Harbaugh has done this past month with the 49ers. But Belichick, as he's done in the past, praised Harbaugh in analyzing the move from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick.

"Coach Harbaugh is an outstanding coach and his record and performance speak for itself," Belichick said in a Wednesday conference call with Bay Area media. "I'm sure whatever decision he makes is what he thinks is best for the football team.

"Certainly (Harbaugh) has the experience and track record to go with it. He played the position. He knows the position as much as anybody does. I'm sure he's doing what's best for his team. That's what any coach would do."

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick coaches his team during an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Belichick stuck with Tom Brady over Drew Bledsoe and has three Super Bowl rings and five AFC titles to show for that move. Harbaugh is vying for his first Super Bowl appearance, and the 49ers (9-3-1) will get their toughest test yet when they visit the Patriots (10-3) on Sunday night.

Brady won his 23rd Player of the Week Award on Wednesday, an NFL record since those accolades began in 1984. The San Mateo native threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns in Monday night's 42-14 win over Houston. He's thrown a touchdown pass in 45 consecutive games, and he has 29 touchdowns against four interceptions this season.

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Asked if Brady is in career-best form, Belichick replied: "I don't' know. He's played pretty well for us for quite a while. We'll see what happens this week. It's a big challenge for us against the 49ers. They're strong, physical, fast, they play well on first down and that creates a lot of long third-down situations. We'll see how we match up against the 49ers this week."

Belichick called Kaepernick a "good quarterback" who'll force them prepare for the extra elements with the option and pistol formations.

"The 49ers have won a lot of games with whichever quarterback they've had in there," Belichick added. "They're a solid football team. We have to be defend whoever is is in there. They're good with either one of them."

In 2007, Randy Moss caught a single-season league record 27 touchdown passes from Brady, and Belichick likes what he's seen from Moss in a 49ers uniform after a 2011 hiatus.

"Randy looks like Randy," Belichick said. "He's the greatest deep-ball receiver that's ever played. Nobody runs better patterns or has a better feel for the deep part of the field like Randy Moss.

"Because of his ability to do that, it opens up other things. You have to respect his ability to go deep, stretch the field and get behind you. It's hard to take that away and defend everything else.

With just 21 catches for 326 yards and two touchdowns, Moss' biggest on-field contribution as a 49er has come as a blocker, which is a role he didn't ignore in New England.

"He's tall, he's got long arms, he's able to cover up those defenders," Belichick said. "They have a hard time seeing around him or getting off him to get into the play. He was very effective doing that."

Another long-armed player on the Patriots' radar is the 49ers' Aldon Smith, who leads the league with 19ï»¿1/2 sacks. Smith will often be matched up against left tackle Nate Solder, as well as left guard Logan Mankins, a Northern California product.

"That position, those guys see them every week," Belichick said of his linemen. "Smith has a good combination of skills. He's strong. He can power rush. He can run the edge. He's quick. He's got a good up-and-under move, got a good inside move, got a good outside move. He can run over those guys. That's three pretty good pitches to have right there. Hard to block them all.

"Nate's a good player in his own right, and he's competed against a lot of good ones this year and last year. He'll be ready to go."